Christian views on astrology

Christianity and astrology are seen as incompatible by modern orthodox Christian doctrine. Additionally, astrology stands juxtaposed against the roots of modern scientific reasoning. Generally, the scientific community and others educated in the scientific method consider astrology a pseudoscience or superstition.

Astrology within the Church

Western church leaders throughout history have at times given different amounts of credibility to astrological investigations, predictions, and learning. Astrology had small amounts of support in early Christianity, but support waned during the Dark Ages. Support for it grew again in the West during the Renaissance. A major Western orthodox witness to this, the Catholic Encyclopedia, says:

In 321 Constantine issued an edict threatening all Chaldeans, Magi, and their followers with death. Astrology now disappeared for centuries from the Christian parts of Western Europe.

...[E]arly Christian legend distinguished between astronomy and astrology by ascribing the introduction of the former to the good angels and to Abraham while the latter was ascribed to Cham. In particular St. Augustine [...] fought against astrology and sought to prevent its amalgamation with pure natural science.

Emperors and popes became votaries of astrology—Charles IV and V, and Popes Sixtus IV, Julius II, Leo X and Paul III. When these rulers lived astrology was, so to say, the regulator of official life; it is a fact characteristic of the age, that at the papal and imperial courts ambassadors were not received in audience until the court astrologer had been consulted. Regiomontanus, the distinguished Bavarian mathematician practised astrology, which from that time on assumed the character of a bread-winning profession, and as such was not beneath the dignity of so lofty an intellect as Kepler. Thus had astrology once more become the foster-mother of all astronomers. In the judgment of the men of the Renaissance—and this was the age of a Nicholas Copernicus—the most profound astronomical researches and theories were only profitable insofar as they aided in the development of astrology. Among the zealous patrons of the art were the Medici. Catherine de' Medici made astrology popular in France. She erected an astrological observatory for herself near Paris, and her court astrologer was the celebrated "magician" Michel de Notredame (Nostradamus) who in 1555 published his principal work on astrology—a work still regarded as authoritative among the followers of his art. Another well-known man was Lucas Gauricus the court astrologer of Popes Leo X and Clement VII who published a large number of astrological treatises.

Subsequently, this source described the eventual disintegration of astrology in popular, educated Western Christianity due to the perceived superiority of the Copernican system, the rise of experimental investigation in the natural sciences, and disillusionment of the people abused by the "pseudo-prophetic wisdom" of this "astrological humbug." However, as the nineteenth century waned and the twentieth century began, a renewed interest was sparked in "the peasant" and astrology became quite popular again despite its unscientific mysticism.

Once more astrology fell to the level of a vulgar superstition cutting a sorry figure among the classes that still had faith in the occult arts. The peasant held fast to his belief in natural astrology, and to this belief the progress of the art of printing and the spread of popular education contributed largely. For not only were there disseminated among the rural poor "farmer's almanacs", which contained information substantiated by the peasant's own experience, but the printing presses also supplied the peasant with a great mass of cheap and easily understood books containing much fantastic astrological nonsense. The remarkable physical discoveries of recent decades in combination with the growing desire for an elevated philosophico-religious conception of the world and the intensified sensitiveness of the modern cultured man—all these together have caused astrology to emerge from its hiding place among paltry superstitions. The growth of occultistic ideas, which should, perhaps, not be entirely rejected, is reintroducing astrology into society. [emphasis added]

From this lengthy quote, with the final emphasis made to draw a point, it is obvious that, at the time of writing, although the Roman Catholic opinion of astrology was not enthusiastic, there was a small amount of leeway provided to make legitimate use of astrology. Perhaps the intent was to allow astrology to be studied by scholars, theologians, and members of the clergy. It is clearly not in support of modern astrology for divination, personal horary predictions, or for supporting superstitions. At the same time, it does not seem to be anathema to Catholicism (see heterodoxy). Indeed, the gist of the article seems to be that astrology is merely anathema to modern scientific reasoning and therefore makes its usefulness in Western Christianity a tenuous one.

The Magi in the Bible: Identity

There is one account of magi in the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew, the author records in the second chapter that an unspecified number of magi (or wise men, as some have translated it) from the East attempt to discover the location of the King of the Jews, recently born. The word "magi" here is normally† taken to mean simply "astrologers." But this is based on definitions used after the Helenistic era. It is unclear what this title refer to earlier this era. Most Christian groups believe that the name magi is used loosely to describe the mysterious wise men. Subsequently, the Bible only states that they followed the star to the Israel. But it is not clear that they adopted the astrology as a method. They begin their search in Jerusalem, and Herod "the king" hears of their inquiries. Herod subsequently inquires of the Jewish priests and scribes the prophesied location of the birth of the Messiah. The small town of Bethlehem, a few miles from Jerusalem, is indicated to have been the birthplace. Given these directions, the Eastern magi find the young Jesus and his mother, Mary. Upon discovering the child, the magi worship him and present him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

†The Greek word for "magi" can mean a number of different things, as evidenced by the Book of Acts' reference to a man named Simon (known as Simon Magus or Simon the Sorcerer). Since Simon was from Samaria and not the East, the word "magus" in Acts probably refers to sorcery or divination and not astrology as a profession.

If in fact the magi were astrologers, it would poses a problem for Christians: whether astrology is indeed acceptable to the faith. However, it is unlikely to be the case, since astrological practice is inconsistent with biblical indication. The prominent prophet Isaiah stated in Isaiah 47:13, " Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from [these things] that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: [there shall] not [be] a coal to warm at, [nor] fire to sit before it." Both Judaism and Christianity believes in the guidance of prophets, foretellers ordained by God directly. And after the death of Jesus Christ the Messiah, Christians now believe in having the Holy Spirit who is both guidance, discipline and wisdom. The Orthodox Christian believes in relying on God, and not on things created.

The Magi's visit to Bethelem and their worship is presented as a significant story regarding Jesus' birth. And since Luke's parallel account of the birth does not record others as having done so, Gentile the magi are unlikely to be common astrologers, but wise & respected men with given the sign. There was something unique about these men that allowed them to approach even King Herod and remain recorded in the Bible. There is no records others astrologers coming from other areas other than the East.

It is often believed that the magi visit the child because of astrological study. But this is not clarified in the bible. Matthew describes the magi asfollowing a star And following a star" is not technically a description of what astrologers do for prediction. Astrology would normally consist of observations of the planets, calculating and extrapolating their locations in the sky, identifying the significance of each location in the starry constellations, accurate timekeeping, and making a prediction using the ancient witnesses to the art. The following of stars to a locate someone is not common astrological practice.

It is possible that the wise men consulted the prophesies of the Bible concerning the Messiah, because they were not only aware that asignificant saint would be born, they knew also the identity of Jesus. In Matthew 2:2, Magia from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” The magi not only knew the newborn would be a king, but knew something else that others did not: that Jesus was to beome the king of the Jews. Astrology is an interpretative practice used to predict certain events. It is not conventional for it to reveal specific prophetic information as certain as knowing the hidden identity of mewborn. The magi, if at all adopted knowledge of the stars, would need much more than astrology.

Notes

• Astrologer William Lilly's book Christian Astrology (1647) is a major work in the field.
• From http://www.gotquestions.org/astrology-Bible.html